Criminal charges are formal accusations of criminal conduct made by a governmental authority against a person or entity. Criminal charges are usually filed or initiated by a city, county, state, or the federal government, acting through a public prosecutor—also known as a municipal prosecutor, county attorney, district attorney, state attorney general, or United States Attorney (for federal crimes). Criminal charges range from low-level misdemeanors such as traffic tickets to first degree felonies such as capital murder.

The charging document in which the specific crime(s) alleged to have been committed are specified may be referred to as (1) a complaint; (2) an information; (3) an indictment; (4) a citation; or (5) a traffic ticket.

In North Carolina, criminal charges are formal allegations made by the government that an individual or entity has engaged in criminal conduct. These charges can be initiated by various levels of government, including city, county, state, or federal authorities, and are prosecuted by officials such as municipal prosecutors, county attorneys, district attorneys, or the United States Attorney in the case of federal offenses. The severity of charges in North Carolina ranges from misdemeanors, like minor traffic violations, to serious felonies, including capital murder which may be punishable by death or life imprisonment. The specific allegations are detailed in a charging document, which may take the form of a complaint, an information, an indictment, a citation, or a traffic ticket. An indictment is typically used for felonies and is issued by a grand jury, while a complaint or information may be used for misdemeanors or lesser felonies not requiring grand jury proceedings.